Safety

Arkansas vs California: Violent Crime Rate

California has a lower violent crime rate than Arkansas.

Arkansas flag
Arkansas
AR · South
556.3 per 100k
Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).
California flag
California
CA · West
Winner
499.5 per 100k
Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).

Visual comparison

Arkansas556.3 per 100k
California499.5 per 100k

Difference: 56.8 per 100k — California leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for violent crime rate.

Arkansas #46 · 556.3 per 100k
California #44 · 499.5 per 100k
Best Worst

10 Best States — Violent Crime Rate

Lower is better
#1 Maine flag Maine
109.8 per 100k
#2 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
164.4 per 100k
#3 Connecticut flag Connecticut
178.0 per 100k
#4 Vermont flag Vermont
187.6 per 100k
#5 New Jersey flag New Jersey
188.9 per 100k
#6 Virginia flag Virginia
195.2 per 100k
#7 Rhode Island flag Rhode Island
215.5 per 100k
#8 Wyoming flag Wyoming
216.5 per 100k
#9 Kentucky flag Kentucky
218.6 per 100k
#10 Idaho flag Idaho
224.7 per 100k
Selected states
#46 Arkansas flag Arkansas
556.3 per 100k
#44 California flag California
499.5 per 100k

Arkansas ranks 46th and California ranks 44th nationally for violent crime rate.

Safety Context

Violent Crime Rate in context

Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.

Violent Crime

California has 11% less violent crime

California records 499.5 violent incidents per 100k residents versus 556.3 in Arkansas (FBI UCR 2022).

Poverty

California has a lower poverty rate

Economic stress and crime are closely tied. California's poverty rate is 12.0%, compared with 15.7% in Arkansas.

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Income

California has higher household income

States with stronger median incomes tend to have lower crime rates. California leads at $84,097 vs $52,123 in Arkansas.

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Population Density

California is more densely populated

Urban density often correlates with higher crime rates. California is more densely populated at 241.5 per sq mi vs 56.6 in Arkansas.

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Safety snapshot

Arkansas
Violent crime rate / 100k
556.3
Poverty rate
15.7%
Median household income
$52,123
Population density
56.6 / sq mi
Unemployment rate
4.2%
California
Violent crime rate / 100k
499.5
Poverty rate
12.0%
Median household income
$84,097
Population density
241.5 / sq mi
Unemployment rate
5.5%

What stands out

  • California has the lower violent crime rate at 499.5 per 100k.
  • California has the lower poverty rate.
  • California has the higher median household income.

Related pages

What this means

Arkansas vs California: Violent Crime Rate in context

California's violent crime rate is 499.5 per 100k, compared with 556.3 per 100k in Arkansas. Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).

Arkansas
556.3 per 100k
California
499.5 per 100k
Difference
56.8 per 100k

People also ask

Arkansas vs California Violent Crime Rate — common questions

QWhat is Arkansas's violent crime rate?

Arkansas's violent crime rate is 556.3 per 100k.

QWhat is California's violent crime rate?

California's violent crime rate is 499.5 per 100k.

QWhich state has a lower violent crime rate — Arkansas or California?

California has a lower violent crime rate than Arkansas.

More comparisons: Arkansas vs California

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Full comparison

Data source and freshness

Data period
2022 UCR data
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Reported offenses per 100,000 residents; reporting coverage can vary.